STEUBEN COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY AND CORRECTIONS COMMITTEE. Monday, January 7, 2013

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1 STEUBEN COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY AND CORRECTIONS COMMITTEE Monday, January 7, :00 a.m. Legislative Committee Room Steuben County Office Building Bath, New York **MINUTES** COMMITTEE: Brian C. Schu, Chair Dan C. Farrand, Vice Chair Aaron I. Mullen Thomas J. Ryan George J. Welch STAFF: Mark R. Alger Jack Wheeler Tim Marshall David Hopkins Jim Gleason Ken Isaman Jerry Miller Andy Greeley David Cole Jim Allard Alan Reed Mike McCartney Noel Terwilliger LEGISLATORS: Joseph J. Hauryski K. Michael Hanna William A. Peoples Gary B. Roush Randolph J. Weaver I. CALL TO ORDER Mr. Schu called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. and asked Mr. Ryan to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION: APPROVING THE MINUTES OF THE DECEMBER 3, 2013, MEETING MADE BY MR. FARRAND. SECONDED BY MR. RYAN. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 5-0. III. DEPARTMENTAL REQUESTS A. District Attorney 1. RFP for Investigative Services Mr. McCartney requested authorization to issue an RFP for Investigative Services. They grant funds from two sources which have been earmarked for investigation, case management and education associated with controlled substances. The total amount of funding available is $9,500. We are looking to contract with an entity to provide, on an hourly basis, non-law enforcement/non-arrest assistance in a variety of tasks from surveillance, searches of cooperative individuals, case research, background investigation and links to other unauthorized income and public education. Mr. Ryan asked what about liability? Mr. Reed explained as they would not be an employee of the County, they would need to provide an insurance certificate to us. The County also has a hold harmless clause. Mr. Farrand asked what about Noel Terwilliger? Would it be better to use the grant funds for additional overtime for him? Mr. Reed stated Mr. Baker wanted someone in addition to Mr. Terwilliger. Under penal law, the District Attorney s Investigator does have qualified immunity. Mr. Baker was looking for someone that doesn t require that. MOTION: AUTHORIZING THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY TO ISSUE AN RFP FOR INVESTIGATIVE SERVICES MADE BY MR. MULLEN. SECONDED BY MR. WELCH. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 5-0. B. Emergency Management Office Contracts Mr. Marshall requested authorization to renew his contracts with Motorola, Environmental Emergency Services, Inc., Monroe County Medical Examiner and Empire Telephone. He stated 1 Monday, January 7, 2013

2 that they are on the last year of five-year contracts with Motorola, Environmental Emergency Services, Inc. and Empire Telephone and next year we will need to bid them out again. MOTION: APPROVING THE FOLLOWING 2013 CONTRACT RENEWALS FOR THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE: MOTOROLA - $95,480.00; ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCY SERVICES, INC. - $8,000.00; MONROE COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINERS - $89, AND EMPIRE TELEPHONE - $1, MADE BY MR. FARRAND. SECONDED BY MR. MULLEN. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES EMS Mutual Aid Plan Mr. Marshall informed the committee that he has drafted this in response to the issue of EMS struggling during the daytime hours to staff calls. Right now we run on a 9-minute dispatch. With the IAmResponding Program, we have a little more knowledge of which agencies are in service. We think we can bring that timeframe down to 6 minutes. If after 6 minutes we don t have a full crew, then we will start the mutual aid. We are also asking agencies that if they know they don t have a crew available during the day, to just call their ambulance out of service. This plan is very similar to what other counties are doing. Mr. Farrand commented that Cameron has one EMT that is available all the time. Mr. Marshall stated we are getting to the point where the number of volunteers with that level of training and the commitment of hours are starting to dwindle. They have gone to the national standard so the bar has been set higher. Mr. Farrand suggested that this committee should send a resolution to NYSAC asking them to work with STREMS. Mr. Ryan asked has your association pushed back to the State with regard to these requirements? Mr. Marshall replied State EMS and the STREMS Council are both overseen by doctors and they are the driving force. They are trying to push out the volunteer EMS. Mr. Ryan commented that it is ridiculous in rural areas to have such stringent rules. Mr. Marshall stated that now we are getting into issues where EMTs from one community are assisting other communities and there are different medical directors and the ambulances are set up differently. He stated that he would rather see a plan that spells everything out. We have had several meetings with State EMS and STREMS to address our concerns that going to the national standards is not working. Mr. Hauryski stated that not all ambulances are equipped with the same equipment. Have you addressed that? Mr. Marshall replied all ambulances have a standard set of equipment; however, the equipment may not be in the same location in other ambulances. The State Bureau of EMS certifies all ambulances. They have to meet certain minimum standards. MOTION: APPROVING THE EMS MUTUAL AID PLAN AS PRESENTED MADE BY MR. FARRAND. SECONDED BY MR. MULLEN. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 5-0. MOTION: AUTHORIZING A MEMORIALIZING RESOLUTION TO BE SENT TO THE NEW YORK STATE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, STREMS AND THE STATE BUREAU OF EMS REGARDING THE NUMBER OF TRAINING HOURS REQUIRED FOR EMT S MADE BY MR. FARRAND. SECONDED BY MR. WELCH. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES Narrowbanding Project Mr. Marshall informed the committee that last month Motorola came out and said they would not make the end of the year deadline. We did make an application to the FCC for a waiver exempting us from the narrowbanding requirements for a six-month time period so that we can continue to work on getting the equipment installed. Our new timeline will be the end of June. One of the issues we have is regarding the frequency allocation for the Perkinsville Tower site. Because it sits within the 50-mile A-line of Canada, any licensing has to go to Canada for approval. They rejected our first application. We have since sent in another application and have not received any word. Until that licensing is approved by Canada and the FCC, we cannot turn the system on. Mr. Ryan asked what is the status of the Jasper tower site? Mr. Marshall requested that be discussed in Executive Session. 2 Monday, January 7, 2013

3 C. Administrator 1. Assigned Counsel Contract Mr. Alger requested authorization to renew their contract with Dave Wallace, Esq. to administer the Assigned Counsel Program. The amount of the contract is $45, annually and represents the first increase in six years. Mr. Mullen asked does Mr. Wallace provide a breakdown on the time? Mr. Alger replied Mr. Wallace does provide us with a routine report on caseloads and assignments. This reflects everything that the Public Defender does not handle. This year we need to take a look at whether we want to try to implement a conflicts office. This would be separate from the Public Defender and they could handle the conflicts. We could either hire a staff person to do this, or look at a contract. Mr. Schu stated that he would like to see it done on a fixed cost basis because we don t know what the caseloads will be. Mr. Alger stated that originally we were going to do a conflicts office ten years ago, but the State had questions about creating those offices. Last year the State came out with standards and it is much clearer how to do that. We can do an RFP and see what kind of responses you get. The caseload is such that we need to look at how we are doing. Mr. Mullen asked is there a review if certain attorneys submit higher bills? Mr. Schu replied that is Mr. Wallace s job, to scrutinize the billing. Mr. Alger explained the assigned counsel administrator has a very key role in maintaining our costs. All bills are reviewed by the assigned counsel administrator and signed by the judge. Mr. Farrand asked if we had a conflicts office, how would that work? Mr. Schu stated that in Allegany County they have a group of four attorneys and they have a fixed cost that they have to stay within. Right now, we don t know what we are spending. Mr. Alger explained it is a question of how you do it. One option is that you can hire people and set up another office. The other option is you can contract for that service. The standards set by the State will dictate which of those makes more sense. We have to submit a conflicts plan that has been approved by the State. Mr. Farrand commented that he likes the idea of how Allegany County is doing it. MOTION: AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO RENEW THEIR CONTRACT WITH DAVID WALLACE, ESQ. TO ADMINISTER THE ASSIGNED COUNSEL PROGRAM FOR AN ANNUAL COST OF $45, MADE BY MR. FARRAND. SECONDED BY MR. RYAN. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES Cell Phone Request Mr. Alger requested authorization to assign cell phones to the Dave Cole, Sheriff and Jim Allard, Undersheriff. MOTION: ASSIGNING CELL PHONES TO SHERIFF DAVID COLE AND UNDERSHERIFF JIM ALLARD MADE BY MR. FARRAND. SECONDED BY MR. MULLEN. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 5-0. D. Sheriff 1. Major Equipment Request Sheriff Cole requested authorization to spend money in his Major Equipment line for the purchase of vehicles. MOTION: AUTHORIZING THE SHERIFF TO PURCHASE VEHICLES FROM HIS MAJOR EQUIPMENT LINE MADE BY MR. FARRAND. SECONDED BY MR. MULLEN. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 5-0. IV. OTHER BUSINESS A. Changing the Date of the February Meeting Mr. Schu stated that due to the NYSAC Conference, it has been suggested that the February meeting be moved to the following Monday, February 11 th at 9:00 a.m. MOTION: CHANGING THE DATE OF THE FEBRUARY MEETING TO MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2013, AT 9:00 A.M. MADE BY MR. MULLEN. SECONDED BY MR. WELCH. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES Monday, January 7, 2013

4 MOTION: TO ADJOURN REGULAR SESSION AND RECONVENE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO PUBLIC OFFICERS LAW, ARTICLE F. THE MEDICAL, FINANCIAL, CREDIT OR EMPLOYMENT HISTORY OF A PARTICULAR PERSON OR CORPORATION, OR MATTERS LEADING TO THE APPOINTMENT, EMPLOYMENT, PROMOTION, DEMOTION, DISCIPLINE, SUSPENSION, DISMISSAL OR REMOVAL OF A PARTICULAR PERSON OR CORPORATION MADE BY MR. MULLEN. SECONDED BY MR. FARRAND. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 5-0. MOTION: TO ADJOURN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND RECONVENE IN REGULAR SESSION MADE BY MR. FARRAND. SECONDED BY MR. MULLEN. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 5-0. MOTION: TO ADJOURN MADE BY MR. FARRAND. SECONDED BY MR. WELCH. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 5-0. Respectfully Submitted by Amanda L. Chapman Deputy Clerk Steuben County Legislature NEXT MEETING SCHEDULED FOR **PLEASE NOTE CHANGE**Monday, February 11, 9:00 a.m.**please NOTE CHANGE** Please send agenda items to the Clerk of the Legislature s Office NO LATER THAN NOON on Tuesday, January 29, Monday, January 7, 2013

5 STEUBEN COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY & CORRECTIONS COMMITTEE Special Meeting Monday, January 28, :15 a.m. Legislative Committee Room Steuben County Office Building Bath, New York **MINUTES** COMMITTEE: Brian C. Schu, Chair Aaron I. Mullen Thomas J. Ryan George J. Welch STAFF: Jack Wheeler David Cole Jim Allard Tina Goodwin Tim Marshall Alan Reed Shawn Corey Nancy Smith Jim Gleason Noel Terwilliger LEGISLATORS: Joseph J. Hauryski K. Michael Hanna Hilda T. Lando Robin K. Lattimer William A. Peoples Gary B. Roush Scott J. Van Etten Randolph J. Weaver OTHERS: Mark Conrad, Chief, Bath Fire Department I. CALL TO ORDER Mr. Schu called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. II. GENERAL BUSINESS A. Towing Mr. Schu stated that the committee received the proposed Request for Proposal packet for review. Mr. Wheeler stated that one section of the RFP does address the cost charge to the consumers and there is a standard fee schedule. This is the best and only option at this point. We have received many calls from law enforcement, and emergency services, as well as the tow companies. There are a lot of counties that have gone this route. Our responsibility is to make sure that the dispatch we provide is with a capable, competent and properly insured company. With this we should be better able to control the response times. Mr. Mullen commented with this RFP, the vehicle operator and the responders on the scene can call for a specific company. If they do not have a preference would the policy then kick in? Mr. Wheeler replied that is correct. We would encourage the responders on the scene to make the call if they know what company and what equipment is needed. This is not a bid. This is an award for professional services which allows us to factor in qualifications and experience. We would like to reach out to law enforcement and emergency services to find out which companies have the most experience. MOTION: AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR TOWING SERVICES MADE BY MR. MULLEN. SECONDED BY MR. WELCH FOR DISCUSSION. Mr. Roush asked will there be a rotating list? Mr. Schu replied no. We anticipate that there will be a primary and secondary operator for each of the four quadrants. Mr. Wheeler explained there will be four quadrants with a primary and secondary for each of three categories; highway, commercial traffic and personal vehicles. If neither the primary or secondary are available, then we would go to a list. Ms. Lattimer asked what is the timeframe for this? Mr. Wheeler replied we anticipate one month to get responses back and then a couple of weeks to review. We should be able to award the RFP by March or April at the latest. Mr. Mullen 5 Monday, January 28, 2013

6 commented that what he likes about the RFP is the fact that it still allows the motor vehicle operator to choose what towing service they would like. Discussion followed. VOTE ON PREVIOUS MOTION: ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 4-0. MOTION: TO ADJOURN MADE BY MR. MULLEN. SECONDED BY MR. RYAN. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 4-0. Respectfully Submitted by, Amanda L. Chapman Deputy Clerk Steuben County Legislature 6 Monday, January 28, 2013

7 STEUBEN COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY & CORRECTIONS COMMITTEE Monday, February 11, :00 a.m. Legislative Committee Room Steuben County Office Building Bath, New York **MINUTES** COMMITTEE: Joseph J. Hauryski Aaron I. Mullen Thomas J. Ryan George J. Welch STAFF: Jack Wheeler Jim Gleason Tim Marshall Tina Goodwin Noel Terwilliger Phil Roche David Cole Jim Allard Andy Greeley Alan Reed Shawn Corey Brenda Mori Dan Brown LEGISLATORS: K. Michael Hanna William A. Peoples Randolph J. Weaver ABSENT: Brian C. Schu, Chair Dan C. Farrand, Vice Chair I. CALL TO ORDER Mr. Hauryski called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. and asked Undersheriff Allard to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION: APPROVING THE MINUTES OF THE JANUARY 7, 2013, AND JANUARY 28, 2013, MEETINGS MADE BY MR. RYAN. SECONDED BY MR. WELCH. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 4-0. III. DEPARTMENTAL REQUESTS A. Sheriff 1. STEP Grant Sheriff Cole requested authorization to accept a 2013 STEP Grant in the amount of $9, There is no County match. MOTION: AUTHORIZING THE SHERIFF TO ACCEPT A 2013 STEP GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $9, MADE BY MR. MULLEN. SECONDED BY MR. WELCH. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES Prisoner Housing Contract Sheriff Cole requested authorization to enter into an intermunicipal agreement with Livingston County for housing Livingston County inmates at the Steuben County Jail and when necessary, to house Steuben County inmates at the Livingston County Jail. MOTION: AUTHORIZING THE SHERIFF TO ENTER INTO AN INTER-MUNICIPAL AGREEMENT WITH THE LIVINGSTON COUNTY SHERIFF S DEPARTMENT FOR INMATE HOUSING MADE BY MR. RYAN. SECONDED BY MR. WELCH. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 4-0. Resolution Required. 3. Erwin Town Court Security Contract Sheriff Cole requested authorization to discontinue the inter-municipal agreement with the Erwin Town Court to provide security. Sergeant Brown explained we currently are providing security at the Erwin Town Court for two hours per day, twice a week. With our current staff levels and other requirements, it has been a challenge to maintain security. Undersheriff Allard commented that historically, the Painted Post Police Department always used to supply the officer. Under the mayoral 7 Monday, February 11, 2013

8 administration, the decision was made to not continue to supply an officer, at which time the Erwin Town Court contacted us. This is not a viable situation for the court security division to maintain. Mr. Mullen asked are you hiring a part-time or full-time officer? Sergeant Brown replied we use one part-time armed officer as the court requires an armed officer. The majority of his staff are unarmed full-time officers or unarmed part-time officers. Mr. Welch asked would there be a cost savings to discontinue the contract? Sergeant Brown replied that he is not sure if there would be a cost savings, but it will enable us to cover our positions here. Discussion followed. MOTION: AUTHORIZING THE SHERIFF TO TERMINATE AN INTER-MUNICIPAL AGREEMENT WITH THE ERWIN TOWN COURT TO PROVIDE SECURITY MADE BY MR. MULLEN. SECONDED BY MR. WELCH. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 4-0. Resolution Required. 4. Informational Sheriff Cole stated that he recently met with the New York State Police and we are in the process of working with them to hold DWI road checks. We would like to do these once a month with the State Police as well as other agencies. He stated that he has also met with CNET and we will start working with them and the State Police to more actively be involved in drug arrests. 5. Officer Commendations Sheriff Cole stated that he would like to recognize the work of Deputy O Dell who was involved with a traffic stop involving 11 illegal aliens. Undersheriff Allard also stated that he would like the recognize three Corrections Officers, Officer Scotty, for not taking any sick days in the past two years; Officer Rheinbold who suggested setting up a code system, which is currently being used in the Jail; and Officer Fonzo, who has developed a field training and evaluation program. Congratulations! Mr. Ryan stated that since the Sheriff is here, he would like to take the opportunity to present to the committee a resolution passed by the Region 8 Fish & Wildlife Committee in opposition to the SAFE Act. Mr. Wheeler commented that he has seen the draft of the InterCounty resolution and one of things he would like to highlight is the unfunded mandate portion of this. We have received some statistics from Dr. Chapman about the mental health impacts of this new law. Sheriff Cole stated that he has a couple of programs that he would like to try to implement. First, he would like to meet with the School Superintendents to talk about the possibility of supplying law enforcement to the schools. Second, he would like to bring in at-risk youth to the Sheriff s Department and focus on doing positive things with them. Mr. Welch commented there are pros and cons to the legislation. To just throw this at the committee, he could not vote for or against it right now. Mr. Hauryski asked that something be written up and presented to the committee for their review next month. B. Emergency Management Office /2012 Homeland Security Grants Mr. Marshall stated the committee had previously accepted the 2011 and 2012 Homeland Security Grants, but we did not authorize the budget. He requested authorization to appropriate a total of $99,300 from the 2011 Homeland Security Grant to the Equipment, Cell Phone Chargebacks, Software, Operational Support, Contract Labor and Volunteer Training line items. He also requested authorization to appropriate a total of $66,000 from the 2012 Homeland Security Grant to the Software, Cell Phone Chargeback and Contract Labor line items. Mr. Marshall stated they would also like to use some of the funding from the 2012 Homeland Security Grant to do a full-scale exercise that would include multiple agencies. 8 Monday, February 11, 2013

9 MOTION: AUTHORIZING THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE TO APPROPRIATE A TOTAL OF $99,300 FROM THE 2011 HOMELAND SECURITY GRANT TO THE EQUIPMENT, CELL PHONE CHARGEBACK, SOFTWARE, OPERATIONAL SUPPORT, CONTRACT LABOR AND VOLUNTEER TRAINING LINE ITEMS AND TO APPROPRIATE A TOTAL OF $66,000 FROM THE 2012 HOMELAND SECURITY GRANT TO THE SOFTWARE, CELL PHONE CHARGEBACK AND CONTRACT LABOR LINE ITEMS MADE BY MR. MULLEN. SECONDED BY MR. WELCH. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES Contracts Mr. Marshall requested authorization to enter into a contract with the Village of Bath for the storage of our fire investigation bus at the village garage. There is no cost to the County. He also requested authorization to enter into a service contract with Linstar for their credentialing ID system for an annual cost of $ Mr. Marshall stated that he is still waiting to hear from the Risk Manager to see if the insurance requirement could be waived as it will cost the company more to carry insurance, than what the contract is worth. MOTION: AUTHORIZING THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH THE VILLAGE OF BATH FOR THE STORAGE OF THE FIRE INVESTIGATION BUS AT THE VILLAGE GARAGE AT NO COST TO THE COUNTY AND TO ENTER INTO A SERVICE CONTRACT WITH LINSTAR FOR THE CREDENTIALING ID SYSTEM FOR AN ANNUAL COST OF $ MADE BY MR. MULLEN. SECONDED BY MR. RYAN. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 4-0. IV. OTHER BUSINESS A. Monthly Reports Mr. Hauryski asked if the committee had any questions about the departments monthly reports? Mr. Roche stated that he would like to clarify the information on his monthly report. The caseloads drive the staffing. As he had previously mentioned to the committee, there is a lawsuit by the New York State Civil Liberties Union alleging that counties are not providing adequate representation. This suit has not been resolved. The Civil Liberties Union wants this to go forward and if they are successful, the State will come out with a mandated number for caseloads and you would be mandated to hire more public defenders. Mr. Mullen asked who are the defendants? Mr. Roche replied Schuyler County is one of six to eight other counties that have been named. We are not named in the suit. Mr. Reed commented the plaintiff really wants a judicial recommendation and it is good that we are not named in the suit. B. Towing Mr. Wheeler stated as most of you are aware, recently the Sheriff and the State Police met regarding towing. He stated that he spoke with Mr. Gleason and Mr. Corey and since we are in the middle of an RFP, our office will not entertain meetings with the tow companies. If we did that, then we would have to issue a notice to everyone. Right now we are getting complaints from both sides. The RFP will be the thing that solves the issue as best we can. He wanted the Legislators to be aware that they may be getting phone calls. For everything that we do as a County government, we do so by either the bid or RFP process. Nothing is more fair than that. MOTION: TO ADJOURN REGULAR SESSION AND RECONVENE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO PUBLIC OFFICERS LAW, ARTICLE F. THE MEDICAL, FINANCIAL, CREDIT OR EMPLOYMENT HISTORY OF A PARTICULAR PERSON AND ARTICLE D. DISCUSSIONS REGARDING PROPOSED, PENDING OR CURRENT LITIGATION MADE BY MR. RYAN. SECONDED BY MR. MULLEN. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 4-0. MOTION: AUTHORIZING THE SHERIFF TO TRANSFER A TOTAL OF $40, FROM VARIOUS LINE ITEMS IN THE 2012 BUDGET TO COVER EXPENSES RELATED TO THE 2012 RADIO GRANT MADE BY MR. MULLEN. SECONDED BY MR. RYAN. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 4-0. MOTION: TO ADJOURN EXECUTIVE SESSION MADE BY MR. WELCH. SECONDED BY MR. RYAN. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES Monday, February 11, 2013

10 MOTION: TO ADJOURN MADE BY MR. RYAN. SECONDED BY MR. MULLEN. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 4-0. Respectfully Submitted by Amanda L. Chapman, Deputy Clerk, Steuben County Legislature NEXT MEETING SCHEDULED FOR Monday, March 4, 9:00 a.m. Please send agenda items to the Clerk of the Legislature s Office NO LATER THAN NOON on Monday, February 25, Monday, February 11, 2013

11 STEUBEN COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY & CORRECTIONS COMMITTEE Special Meeting Monday, February 25, :30 a.m. Legislative Committee Room Steuben County Office Building Bath, New York **MINUTES** COMMITTEE: Brian C. Schu, Chair Dan C. Farrand, Vice Chair Aaron I. Mullen Thomas J. Ryan George J. Welch STAFF: Mark R. Alger Jack Wheeler Brooks Baker David Cole Andy Greeley Jim Allard David Hopkins Alan Reed Judy Hunter Shawn Corey LEGISLATORS: Joseph J. Hauryski Lawrence P. Crossett Carol. A. Ferratella K. Michael Hanna Hilda T. Lando Robin K. Lattimer William A. Peoples Gary B. Roush Gary D. Swackhamer Scott J. Van Etten Randolph J. Weaver I. CALL TO ORDER Mr. Schu called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. II. GENERAL BUSINESS A. Relative to New York State S.A.F.E. Act Mr. Wheeler stated that he sent the Legislature a draft resolution regarding the S.A.F.E Act. We had talked about focusing on the Second Amendment rights and unfunded mandates, which are equally, if not more important. This draft is a combination of what other counties have done. The resolution we drafted is opposing specific provisions of the Second Amendment and those that impose additional mandates on counties. Mr. Ryan stated that his feeling is that we need to send a strong message for a full repeal. The Governor was in Rochester and Buffalo last week and dismissed any questions that were asked about the S.A.F.E. Act. The Governor states that the majority of the public supports this. This is not the way to govern. We cannot pass this kind of legislation the way it was done. As time goes on, we will find out about additional issues. The funding issues with the mental health provision are not sounding so good. He stated that he would prefer that we ask for a repeal of the Act and send a strong message. Our county has a lot of hunting and sports shooting. We will lose tax money on this. Individuals will go across the border to purchase ammunition. Mr. Mullen stated that he agrees that we should request a repeal of the S.A.F.E. Act. He stated that Mrs. Hunter had sent out samples of various resolutions and he liked the Livingston County model. It was short and it repealed the entire law. In the resolution they also referred to Second Amendment rights as well as stating that the law was overly broad. This law is infringing on privacy rights. He doesn t believe that the law will accomplish what they are trying to accomplish. This kind of debate has been going on since our Country was started. Thomas Jefferson understood the fallacy of such a policy in his Common Place book when he included the following quote: Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailant. They serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked in greater confidence than an armed man. Mr. Mullen stated that he would also like to note that most of the tragedies that have taken place have happened in areas that are already gun free zones and so we can see the good those laws did in these areas. 11 Monday, February 25, 2013

12 Mr. Mullen also provided the following comments for inclusion in the minutes: I am opposed to the S.A.F.E act ( the Act ) and support its full repeal. The Act may be unconstitutional, but regardless of whether it is, it creates many requirements that (a) have no logical relationship to its purported ends and (b) substantially infringe upon our freedoms here in New York State. According to Governor Cuomo s press release issued on January 15, 2013, his new law will limit gun violence through common sense, reasonable reforms... and banning high capacity magazines and lethal 1 assault weapons. As for whether the laws are common sense, I doubt that is the case given the Governor s boast in his press release that New York s laws are now the toughest gun laws in the nation. Perhaps he could explain how it is common sense to believe that: 1. The purpose of our Second Amendment right to bear arms is merely to protect our recreational hunting rights. 2. A person who plans to commit murder is going to be concerned that he may also be convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm. 3. Restricting high volume sales of ammunition will prevent future tragedies. 4. It is good public policy to infringe upon privacy rights of the citizenry and create additional layers of bureaucracy when there is no proof that any of it will prevent the crimes the law seeks to prevent. 5. This new law will reduce crime, and not increase crime in light of the excerpts from studies mentioned below: Harvard Study A study published in the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy came to the following conclusion in 2007: There is a compound assertion that (a) guns are uniquely available in the United States compared with other modern developed nations, which is why (b) the United States has by far the highest murder rate. Though these assertions have been endlessly repeated, statement (b) is, in fact, false and statement (a) is substantially so. Don B. Kates and Gary Mauser, Would Banning Firearms Reduce Murder and Suicide? 30 Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy 640 (2007), available at Vol30_ No2_KatesMauseronline.pdf. The study was thorough and compared gun ownership and crime statistics in many countries. Chicago Chicago had a violent crime rate 1.12 times greater than the violent crime rate of the 24 other largest cities. (That is, Chicago s violent crime rate was 12% higher than that of the 24 other cities.) Post-ban, Chicago s crime rate soared immediately, and remained 67% higher than the other large cities. Washington D.C. The story was the same in Washington D.C., where a former D.C. prosecutor (who was once in favor of gun control legislation) observed the following: The gun ban had an unintended effect: It emboldened criminals because they knew that law-abiding District residents were unarmed and powerless to defend themselves. Violent crime increased after the law was enacted, with homicides rising to 369 in 1988, from 188 in 1976 when the ban started. By 1993, 1 (As if lethality is unique to assault weapons) 12 Monday, February 25, 2013

13 annual homicides had reached 454. Jeffrey Scott Shapiro, A Gun Ban That Misfired Opinion, W.S.J. Jan. 15, He then reported that after the ban was repealed by the U.S. Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller, violent crime went down: Since the gun ban was struck down, murders in the District have steadily gone down, from 186 in 2008 to 88 in 2012, the lowest number since the law was enacted in The decline resulted from a variety of factors, but losing the gun ban certainly did not produce the rise in murders that many might have expected. Virginia The opposite has occurred in Virginia, where gun ownership has increased: Gun-related violent crime in Virginia has dropped steadily over the past six years as the sale of firearms has soared to a new record, according to an analysis of state crime data with state records of gun sales. The total number of firearms purchased in Virginia increased 73 percent from 2006 to When state population increases are factored in, gun purchases per 100,000 Virginians rose 63 percent. But the total number of gun-related violent crimes fell 24 percent over that period, and when adjusted for population, gun-related offenses dropped more than 27 percent, from 79 crimes per 100,000 in 2006 to 57 crimes in J.D. Tuccille, Virginia Enjoys Rising Gun Ownership and Declining Crime Nov. 27, 2012, available at (quoting Richmond Times Dispatch). Given Governor Cuomo s reasoning, perhaps we should be looking into banning cars and alcohol in order to prevent the 300+ annual drunk driving deaths that occur in NY. New York should stop making important policy decisions based on emotional whims. This law is not only bad policy, it also infringes upon many of our Constitutional Freedoms. Mr. Wheeler stated if the decision of the committee is to repeal the law, he did draft a different version of the resolution which calls for a repeal of the entire law. He distributed a copy of the draft to the committee for review. Mr. Farrand stated of the six towns he represents all but four town board members are against this legislation, along with the residents. We need to do an outright repeal of this law. Mr. Swackhamer asked can the counties get together and sue the State? Mr. Ryan stated S.C.O.P.E. (Shooter s Committee on Political Education) has moved toward a lawsuit, however, he doesn t know if the counties can do it. Mr. Reed stated as a Second Amendment issue, the County would not have standing. Issues related to mandates not designated as mandates we may have grounds to do something. Mr. Welch asked how is this an unfunded mandate on the County? He stated that he doesn t want to burden the County, but we keep saying that over and over. Mr. Wheeler explained the mental health piece is the largest. There will also be impacts on the County Clerk and the Sheriff with regard to doing rechecks and sending out notifications. The mental health piece at first seemed the smallest, however, Dr. Chapman has informed us that statewide there are approximately 200,000 mental health discharges from hospitals per year. There are 40 mental health directors of counties and they have to evaluate each of those discharges. After discussing this with Dr. Chapman, we are talking about a half dozen additional staff that would need to be added. Mr. Welch asked when is the implementation? Mr. Alger replied that is ongoing. You will have to pay for this under the property tax cap. The Governor is raising taxes here every year because we are, on his behalf, and he is not taking credit for what he is doing. This is an unfunded mandate and it will not go away. 13 Monday, February 25, 2013

14 Mr. Welch asked how much will it cost? Mr. Wheeler replied it is hard to quantify the mental health piece. To hire one staff person at mental health can cost anywhere between $60,000 - $100,000. We would have to hire 5 10 additional staff and you are talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars. Mr. Welch stated the only point that makes sense to him is to speak to the idea or concept of mandates. For us to speak on the Second Amendment is beyond the scope of this Legislature. He cannot vote for this unless it is more specific. We need to look at the legislation item by item. We are not the Assembly or the Senate. Mr. Ryan commented it would have been nice if the State had done that. Mr. Welch stated we cannot look in the rearview mirror. The Second Amendment is so huge. He will not argue over the merits of the Second Amendment. Mr. Schu stated we send memorializing resolutions to the Federal and State government all the time with respect to legislation. If the County constituents tell us that they want us to tell the State their concerns, what is wrong with that? Mr. Mullen asked Mr. Welch what he would vote to keep in the Act? Mr. Welch replied that he doesn t think that is the question. He stated that what he would be willing to agree with is a point about unfunded mandates only. MOTION: MEMORIALIZING THE GOVERNOR AND THE NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATURE TO REPEAL THE NEW YORK STATE S.A.F.E. ACT MADE BY MR. MULLEN. SECONDED BY MR. FARRAND FOR DISCUSSION. Ms. Lattimer commented this is the reaction of the general public who did not feel that they had a voice. The public feels that we are reliable and want us to hear their voice. Mrs. Ferratella stated the point is you are representing your constituents, whether it makes any difference or not. You have to let the State know you are representing the constituents. VOTE ON PREVIOUS MOTION: MOTION CARRIES 4-1. (MR. WELCH OPPOSED) MOTION: TO ADJOURN MADE BY MR. RYAN. SECONDED BY MR. FARRAND. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 5-0. Respectfully Submitted by Amanda L. Chapman Deputy Clerk Steuben County Legislature 14 Monday, February 25, 2013

15 STEUBEN COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY & CORRECTIONS COMMITTEE Monday, March 4, :00 a.m. Legislative Committee Room Steuben County Office Building Bath, New York **MINUTES** COMMITTEE: Brian C. Schu, Chair Dan C. Farrand, Vice Chair Aaron I. Mullen Thomas J. Ryan George W. Welch STAFF: Mark R. Alger Jack Wheeler Dave Hopkins Tim Marshall Tina Goodwin Jim Allard David Cole Andy Greeley Noel Terwilliger Nancy Smith Shawn Corey Jim Gleason Brooks Baker LEGISLATORS: Joseph J. Hauryski Carol A. Ferratella William A. Peoples OTHERS: David Erwin, Erwin Town Supervisor Evan Brown, Steuben County Fire Advisory Board Kristin Klemenz, B&W Towing Blaine Westervelt, B&W Towing Robert Dickinson, Cajun Towing I. CALL TO ORDER Mr. Schu called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. and asked Mr. Mullen to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION: APPROVING THE MINUTES OF THE FEBRUARY 11, 2013, MEETING MADE BY MR. RYAN. SECONDED BY MR. WELCH. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 5-0. III. DEPARTMENTAL REQUESTS A. Sheriff s Department 1. Court Security Sheriff Cole stated that at the February Legislative meeting, a comment was made implying that the reason for the request to terminate the court security contract with the Town of Erwin was due to the new administration wanting to change things. Historically, Sergeant Brown has handled the scheduling of court security for the previous administration, as well as the current administration. The real issue with the contract with the Town of Erwin is that we are using court security personnel from the County Office Building to cover the Town of Erwin. There are times that security here suffers so that we can cover the Town of Erwin. Sheriff Cole stated that he has no issues with providing coverage for Erwin, and he would like to see if there are other options for doing that. Sergeant Brown explained they have had several officers leave and we currently have four vacancies in court security that the State will not fill at this time. The Town of Erwin is requesting a fully trained, fully armed peace officer. We have very few court security officers that are armed. The officers they send to Erwin are not covered under peace officer status. They would fall under the Office of Court Administration. Sergeant Brown explained his concern is mainly the agreement with the Town of Erwin. We try to cover everything that we can, but we are not going to be able to do that. As an example, this morning we had two officers call off. Judge Scudder, the highest-ranking judge in Steuben County, does not have security right now, but the Town of Erwin does. 15 Monday, March 4, 2013

16 Mr. Farrand commented a peace officer cannot keep a weapon at home if they do not have a pistol permit. Sergeant Brown explained armed officers keep their weapons in lock boxes that are located at the County Office Building, Corning City Court and Hornell City Court. The officer assigned to the Town of Erwin has to go to one of these three locations to pick up their weapon prior to going to Erwin. He stated that the Town of Erwin only requires an officer 4-6 hours per week. The contract does have a 90-day termination notice. Mr. Farrand asked are there grant funds available through the Office of Court Administration for court security? Sergeant Brown replied that he is not familiar with that. Sheriff Cole commented that the CPL does not cover peace officer status and there are liability issues. He stated that he is willing to look at this and try to address this issue in another way. To pull individuals from court security here puts us in a difficult position and puts us at risk. Mr. Mullen stated that some of the concerns voiced at the Legislative meeting is that security may not be at the Town of Erwin court when the alleged criminals are being tried and arraigned. What kind of security is there when the criminals are in the Town of Erwin Court? Sheriff Cole replied if they have already been arraigned and remanded to County Jail, we have Corrections Officers that are armed and go with them. If the court calls us and says that they would like a Deputy, we will send people down. Mr. Hauryski commented one other aspect to consider is the Workers Compensation issue. In years past, one of our deputies was injured while in Erwin Town Court and there was a Workers Compensation claim. The County had to pick up the tab for that. At the time, we had asked the Town of Erwin if they would be willing to pay some of that and they declined. We have added exposure. Mr. Ryan asked is this contract fully funded by the Town of Erwin? Sheriff Cole replied yes. Sergeant Brown commented the contract would expire January 1, Mr. Mullen asked would you add another position? Sergeant Brown replied we could send a Deputy Sheriff, however, if they have no training, you will spend time and money to get a fully trained deputy and that could take up to one year. MOTION: AUTHORIZING THE SHERIFF TO ISSUE THE 90-DAY NOTICE OF TERMINATION TO THE TOWN OF ERWIN RELATIVE TO THE COURT SECURITY CONTRACT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE TOWN OF ERWIN AND THE SHERIFF SHOULD COME UP WITH AN ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION WITHIN 90 DAYS OR SAID CONTRACT WILL BE TERMINATED, AND REQUESTING THAT THE SHERIFF REPORT THE STATUS OF THIS PRIOR TO THE 90-DAY TERMINATION TAKING EFFECT MADE BY MR. MULLEN. SECONDED BY MR. FARRAND FOR DISCUSSION. Mr. Alger commented that if we are going to provide security to the Town of Erwin Court, then it has to be with a Deputy Sheriff. They are the only staff qualified to be there. We should not be sending court security personnel. The second issue is the 207-c issue, as that is a big issue for the County. That is an issue that we will want to address in any contract going forward. There is a shared risk with the Town and County. There are things we can do to work it out fairly. VOTE ON PREVIOUS MOTION. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES Intensified Traffic Control Mr. Farrand stated that he would like to commend the Sheriff s Office for their work on Intensified Traffic Control in Rathbone. He stated that he has gotten positive feedback. B. Emergency Management Office 1. Acceptance of FY2012 Local Emergency Management Planning Grant Mr. Marshall requested authorization to accept the FY2012 Local Emergency Management Planning Grant for $41, He 16 Monday, March 4, 2013

17 explained that the State is looking at changing the management of this and are hoping to speed up the process of revenue coming to the counties. They also will be changing some of the paperwork requirements. Some smaller counties are looking at dropping this grant. Mr. Marshall stated that he would recommend keeping this as it offsets our budget for the management of this program. This funding is distributed across all counties in New York. As some counties opt out of this, our funding will probably increase. MOTION: AUTHORIZING THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE TO ACCEPT A FY2012 LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLANNING GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $41, MADE BY MR. FARRAND. SECONDED BY MR. WELCH. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES Acceptance of Round 2 Statewide Interoperable Communication Grant Mr. Marshall requested authorization to accept the Round 2 Statewide Interoperable Communications Grant for $3,169, This was a joint effort between him, Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Wheeler and Mr. Caudill. This funding will help us to build out our communications system. It will provide us with a lateral connection to the Southern Tier fiber network and be able to bring in IP consoles to the 911 Center. We will also be looking at hiring a consultant to come in and review our communications system. MOTION: AUTHORIZING THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE TO ACCEPT THE ROUND 2 STATEWIDE INTEROPERABLE COMMUNICATION GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $3,169, MADE BY MR. RYAN. SECONDED BY MR. WELCH. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 5-0. IV. OTHER BUSINESS A. EMO Director - Mr. Mullen asked if the committee would allow Evan Brown to make some comments regarding the EMO Director position. Mr. Brown stated that he is a member of the Fire Advisory Board and they have not received any communications as to the status of the EMO Director position. The position has been vacant since May when Mr. Sprague left. The Fire Advisory Board would like to have some information and discussion as to what the plan is moving forward. Mr. Schu thanked Mr. Brown for his comments and stated that when the committee has that information, they will pass it on. MOTION: TO ADJOURN REGULAR SESSION AND RECONVENE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO PUBLIC OFFICERS LAW, ARTICLE F. THE MEDICAL, FINANCIAL, CREDIT OR EMPLOYMENT HISTORY OF A PARTICULAR PERSON OR CORPORATION, OR MATTERS LEADING TO THE APPOINTMENT, EMPLOYMENT, PROMOTION, DEMOTION, DISCIPLINE, SUSPENSION, DISMISSAL OR REMOVAL OF A PARTICULAR PERSON OR CORPORATION MADE BY MR. FARRAND. SECONDED BY MR. MULLEN. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 5-0. MOTION: ADJUSTING ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY JOAN MERRY S SALARY FROM $31, TO $36, MADE BY MR. WELCH. SECONDED BY MR. RYAN. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 5-0. MOTION: AWARDING THE BID FOR INVESTIGATIVE SERVICES FOR THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY S OFFICE TO VALLEY CONSULTING AT A RATE OF $25.00 PER HOUR MADE BY MR. RYAN. SECONDED BY MR. FARRAND. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 5-0. MOTION: TO ADJOURN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND RECONVENE IN REGULAR SESSION MADE BY MR. FARRAND. SECONDED BY MR. MULLEN. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 5-0. MOTION: TO ADJOURN MADE BY MR. RYAN. SECONDED BY MR. FARRAND. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES Monday, March 4, 2013

18 Respectfully Submitted by Amanda L. Chapman Deputy Clerk Steuben County Legislature NEXT MEETING SCHEDULED FOR Monday, April 1, 9:00 a.m. Please send agenda items to the Clerk of the Legislature s Office NO LATER THAN NOON on Monday, March 25, Monday, March 4, 2013

19 STEUBEN COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY & CORRECTIONS COMMITTEE Special Meeting Tuesday, March 12, :00 a.m. Legislative Committee Room Steuben County Office Building Bath, New York **MINUTES** COMMITTEE: Brian C. Schu, Chair Aaron I. Mullen Thomas J. Ryan George J. Welch STAFF: Mark R. Alger Jack Wheeler David Hopkins Tina Goodwin Alan Reed Shawn Corey Jim Gleason Brenda Mori LEGISLATORS: Joseph J. Hauryski Lawrence P. Crossett Carol A. Ferratella Gary B. Roush ABSENT: Dan C. Farrand I. CALL TO ORDER Mr. Schu called the meeting to order at 8:10 a.m. II. DEPARTMENT REQUESTS A. 911 Enhanced MOTION: TO ADJOURN REGULAR SESSION AND RECONVENE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO PUBLIC OFFICERS LAW, ARTICLE D. DISCUSSIONS REGARDING PROPOSED, PENDING OR CURRENT LITIGATION MADE BY MR. MULLEN. SECONDED BY MR. WELCH. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 3-0. (MR. RYAN ABSENT FOR VOTE) MOTION: AUTHORIZING THE 911 DIRECTOR TO CONTINUE A DIALOGUE WITH VERIZON AND FRONTIER TO REINSTATE THE POSITRON SYSTEM AT A COST NOT TO EXCEED $25, MADE BY MR. MULLEN. SECONDED BY MR. WELCH. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 4-0. MOTION: TO ADJOURN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND RECONVENE IN REGULAR SESSION MADE BY MR. MULLEN. SECONDED BY MR. WELCH. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 4-0. MOTION: TO ADJOURN MADE BY MR. MULLEN. SECONDED BY MR. WELCH. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 4-0. Respectfully Submitted by Amanda L. Chapman, Deputy Clerk, Steuben County Legislature 19 Tuesday, March 12, 2013

20 STEUBEN COUNT PUBLIC SAFETY & CORRECTIONS COMMITTEE Monday, April 1, :15 a.m. Legislative Chambers Steuben County Office Building Bath, New York **MINUTES** COMMITTEE: Brian C. Schu, Chair Dan C. Farrand, Vice Chair Aaron I. Mullen STAFF: Mark R. Alger Jim Gleason Tina Goodwin Tim Marshall Noel Terwilliger Alan Reed Jim Allard Andy Greeley Nancy Smith Eric Tyner LEGISLATORS: Joseph J. Hauryski Lawrence P. Crossett Carol A. Ferratella K. Michael Hanna Robin K. Lattimer Patrick F. McAllister William A. Peoples Gary D. Swackhamer Randolph J. Weaver Gary B. Roush ABSENT: Thomas J. Ryan George J. Welch I. CALL TO ORDER Mr. Schu called the meeting to order at 9:15 a.m. and asked Mr. Farrand to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION: APPROVING THE MINUTES OF THE MARCH 4, 2013, AND MARCH 12, 2013, MEETINGS MADE BY MR. MULLEN. SECONDED BY MR. FARRAND. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 3-0. III. DEPARTMENTAL REQUESTS A. Sheriff s Department STOP DWI Law Enforcement Plan Undersheriff Allard presented the 2013 STOP DWI Law Enforcement Plan to the committee. The total amount of contracts with the area police departments is $82, MOTION: ADOPTING THE 2013 STOP DWI LAW ENFORCEMENT PLAN AS PRESENTED BY THE STEUBEN COUNTY SHERIFF S DEPARTMENT MADE BY MR. FARRAND. SECONDED BY MR. MULLEN. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES High School Drug/Alcohol Presentation - Undersheriff Allard informed the committee that the Sheriff will be hosting a program for the area schools. All schools plan to participate with the exception of Hammondsport. The first presentation has been scheduled for April 17 th and will consist of presentations by the Sheriff s Department, NYSP DRE, Steuben Council on Addiction, Corrections Officers, Sheriff s Deputies and NYS Troopers. The purpose of this presentation is to educate students 20 Monday, April 1, 2013

21 on their responsibility regarding choice making with alcohol and drugs. Each school will send two or three students. The presentation will end with a videotaped presentation by an inmate and then a tour of the Jail for eligible students. The Sheriff believes this will increase school safety and increase responsibility among students. This program is geared to those students age who are identified by the school. Students can be those at-risk or students who are interested in criminal justice fields. There is no cost to the County. 3. Drug Prevention Flyers Undersheriff Allard informed the committee that the Sheriff has another initiative related to his drug testing program. He would like to provide parents with a home drug test kit at a cost of $ These tests can check for methamphetamines, cocaine, marijuana, barbituates, among others. The Sheriff has contacted a company that will supply these kits to the community. Along with the kits, we also include the phone number for the Steuben Council on Addictions. These kits will be available soon. 4. Letter of Commendation Eric Tyner Undersheriff Allard stated that he would like to recognize Senior Investigator Eric Tyner for his work on March 2, 2013 in helping to capture a fugitive from justice. CONGRATULATIONS! Mr. Farrand stated that he would like to see Investigator Tyner recognized at the April Legislative meeting. 5. Personnel Undersheriff Allard explained in their court security division they have over 20 employees who report to one supervisor. In speaking with the Office of Court Administration and conducting a staffing analysis, there is an apparent need for an additional line of supervision. He requested authorization to reclassify a Court Security Officer, Grade X to a Court Security Corporal, Grade XI. Mr. Farrand asked much of this will be reimbursed by the Office of Court Administration? Undersheriff Allard replied all of it. Mr. Mullen asked will you need to appoint an additional officer? Undersheriff Allard replied no. MOTION: AUTHORIZING THE SHERIFF TO RECLASSIFY A COURT SECURITY OFFICER, GRADE X TO A COURT SECURITY CORPORAL, GRADE XI MADE BY MR. FARRAND. SECONDED BY MR. MULLEN. ALL BEING IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES 3-0. B. District Attorney 1. Announcement of Steuben Welfare Task Force (SWiFT) Mr. Terwilliger informed the committee that the District Attorney has been working closely with the Commissioner of Social Services to have the welfare investigators in Social Services be treated more like police officers and to streamline their processes. We have created the Steuben Welfare Task Force and will be doing a public announcement in April. The District Attorney wants to be stronger and harder on fraud within the County and that message is starting to get out. Individuals who commit welfare fraud will face criminal charges. The Commissioner of Social Services has authorized one of her welfare investigators to work closely with drug enforcement and this will allow them to conduct parallel investigations. Mr. Greeley asked with regard to plea-bargaining, what effect will that have on Probation? Mr. Terwilliger replied that he does not know that at this point. It will probably impact Probation a little more as these would now be felony charges. C. Probation 21 Monday, April 1, 2013